Understanding E-Commerce and E-Business Merchant Website Design

Generally speaking, our understanding of e-commerce is shaped by our experiences of shopping online as a consumer. When it comes to thinking about e-business as a merchant, it requires a different mindset. It's time to think about credit card fraud, anti-fraud protection, integration software for your business website, data protection issues, payment processing and the list goes on...

Well the good news is it's not quite as frightening as it seems. We've outlined the key step-by-step outline of the process from 2 viewpoints:

What are the possibilities?

Single payment

Payment by instalments (optional)

Single payment
The simplest solution is to have a 'Secure Online Payment' button next to your products or services. With this in mind, it is possible to pass important product information across to your payment page (from your Quick on the Net site), such as your price, your currency, and a product description or a product reference number. It's also possible to allow currency switching at the point of purchase if you trade in multiple currencies.

To create a 'single payment' e-business solution for your web site, you will require a 'WorldDirect' account from WorldPay. This is in fact an e-commerce merchant account, includes e-commerce web hosting and access to a Customer Management System (CMS) from where you can manage your e-commerce development and operations.

Since all our websites come with galleries, it is even possible for you to create a product gallery, complete with click-through miniature product photos (or thumbnails), which lead to your product descriptions/specifications and full-sized photos. In other words, you can think of it as an online product catalogue, an e-commerce directory or a web-based brochure. You have the choice of placing your payment buttons on the product listing web pages, or the click-through detail web pages, or both.

Payment by instalments (optional)
Using this method, you have the option of collecting payments from your customers at regular intervals. For example, you could carry out weekly or monthly transactions. In order to set this type of payment up for your clients, you will require the 'WorldDirect' account mentioned above.

What else do I need to know?
It is important to consider anti-fraud protection for your e-commerce software solution. You should consider going for 'deferred processing' (also known as pre-authorisation or 'preauth'). This will not cost you anything extra at WorldPay and it will give you an opportunity to review your customers' orders and payment details before they are processed. If you feel you need chargeable options are available.

How do I sign up?
It will be necessary for you to subscribe to QuickontheNet.com and WorldPay.com separately.

What happens next?
As soon as you subscribe to Quick on the Net, we'll guide you through the process and provide instructions on how to integrate your website with WorldPay. In the meantime, feel free to contact us if you have any queries.